Aly giggled again, but she was also blushing as well... albeit not as much as Eke was, but still.

"Coffee?" she said.

"That would be lovely!" she declared happily.

"I was thinking of getting one later, myself, but it's always better with company." she reasoned.

"What about that nice little place that has those really decadent brownies?" she then suggested.

"Really!?" Aly exclaimed.

"You're so nice!" she said.

"Already offering to pay for the coffee for me? You're so sweet!" she complimented him.

"Thank you!" she went on, her enthusiasm and sincerity more than evident.

"Let's go, then!" she finished, almost bouncing on her feet now.

Aly, meanwhile, had been talking about many things, ranging from the weather, to the coffee at the cafe, to her dreams for the future.

"...so I want to be a singer." she said.

"I've been told I have a pretty voice." she went on.

"..." she was then silent, and blushed a little.

"Sorry, I've been talking about ME this entire time." she apologized.

"What about you? What do YOU want to do?"

Aly looked at him confusedly for a moment, before sighing quietly.

"Well, that's all right." she replied with a small smile.

"I suppose there's still plenty of time." she reasoned.

It was then that the ambient music in the cafe shifted to a ballad-like piano melody... and she looked like she was deeply content about it.

"I love listening to the piano." she said absently.

"You do???" Aly asked, surprise in her tone.

"I'd love to hear you play!" she exclaimed, before suddenly pausing.

"I, oh..." she stammered.

"If... you don't mind, that is." she said, looking away sheepishly.

"I really like it when a guy can play the piano." she admitted.

"The bookshop?" Aly asked.

"Of course!" she said.

"I love the bookshop! It's so quiet and cozy." she told him with a light smile.

"What time?" she asked.

"Can you make it sometime after 12?" she asked further.

"My mornings are usually pretty busy..." she admitted.

"Eke?" he heard Ryker say.

"....Eke?" he repeated, showing up to greet him.

"You were gone for a while..." he commented.

"Everything all right?" he asked.

"I mean... that grin on your face says 'yes', but... you know, want to make sure and all."

Ryker didn't waste any time. He quickly made his way to the fridge, grabbed a bottle of water, and made his way back to Eke, unscrewing the lid as he did so.

"Here." he said, handing Eke the now open bottle.

"Drink." he told him.

"And breath in between drinks." he said further.

"Compose yourself."

Ryker raised an eyebrow.

"The most amazing person." he said.

'...heard THIS before...' he thought.

"Is that so?" he asked.

"Why not tell me all about it, huh?" he then suggested.

"What makes them so amazing?"

"...........all right, chill." Ryker said.

"She sounds amazing, I'll give you that." he told him.

"But you need to calm down and chill out a bit." he said.

"You're as red as a beet, Eke." he commented with a small smirk.

"Also, you're coughing." he then said, his voice more serious now.

"You need to regulate your breathing a little."